William Douglas was born at Bury in 1880, and received a classical education at Bury Grammar School which he valued all his life. He entered Manchester University with a classical scholarship, but was already determined to read medicine. In 1903 he graduated BSc in botany and zoology, and qualified two years later. He spent one year demonstrating anatomy before he became house surgeon to Sir William Thorburn at the old Manchester Infirmary. For the next four years he became Sir William's private assistant, while holding a series of junior posts at the Royal Infirmary. In 1910 he obtained the Fellowship and was appointed surgeon to Ancoats Hospital. During 1914-16 he saw service with the RAMC in Egypt as surgeon at the Citadel in Cairo. He was twice mentioned in dispatches and was awarded the Military Cross in 1915. In 1916 he was invalided home and was attached to the 2nd Western General Hospital in Manchester. He was appointed visiting surgeon to the Witherington Hospital in 1918 in addition to his work at Ancoats, and in 1922 he became assistant surgeon to the Royal Infirmary and full surgeon in 1936. During his active years Douglas had a busy practice, for in addition to his Manchester hospitals he visited and operated in his native Bury and Kendal. His retirement from the Royal Infirmary in 1945 gave him more time to devote to his work at the Christie Hospital, and in 1947 he gave a Moynihan lecture at the Royal College on the results of his many years' work on malignant disease of the head and neck, concentrating especially on his results from block dissection of glands of the neck, at which operation he was an acknowledged master. In 1948 he became regional adviser in surgery and greatly enjoyed the contacts he made with younger surgeons. Douglas was elected a Freeman of Bury in 1958. Apart from surgery his chief interest was music, and he was a constant supporter of the Halle Concert Society. William Douglas died at home on 23 February 1965 at the age of 84; he was survived by his widow and two sons, one of whom is a surgeon.